634 
tunities. A fingle fentence in the preface 
to thefe moft valuable and interefting vo- 
Jumes, gives as accurate a fketch as we 
can do of the principal fybje&ts which 
they embrace. ‘* Ruffia menacing the 
Ottoman Empire wih total deftruction— 
Catherine IT. in danger of being driven 
from her capital, by Guftavus—Auflria 
defeated by the Turks, threatened by the 
Pruffians, alarmed by the troubles in 
Hungary, exhaufted by the revolt in Bra- 
bant ; the Revolution of Holland, aiming 
at the dcftru€tion of the Stadtho'der,. but 
compelled by the Prufian arms to fubmit 
to his yoke—the efforts of Poland to at- 
tain independence, the misfortunes and 
the total partition of that kingdom— 
laftly, the explcfion of the democratic 
fpirit of the French, the war of a people 
againit Kings, Nobles, and Priefts—the 
cerufade of Princes againft liberty—the in- 
vafion of France, the unforefeen refiftance 
of the French, and their almoft fabulous 
conquelis, at the moment when every 
thing portended the difmembeiment and 
ruin of their country; fuch are the prin- 
cipal events of the epoch of which I have 
unde:taken to write a fuccinét hiftory.” 
“ Appendices, ftate-papers, &c. and a co- 
pious index, &c. conter an additional value 
on thefe vohimes. 
‘¢ The Hiftory of France, Civil and 
Military, Eccletiaftical, Political, Lite- 
rary, Commeicial, &c. &c. from the Time 
of its Congueft by Clovis, A.D. 486. 
By the Rev. ALEXANDER RANKEN, one 
of the Minifters of Glafgow.” This 
work is yet in its infancy: but the au- 
thor has evinced fo much care, induftry, 
and accuracy, that we hope he will meet 
with encouragement to proceed in his 
labours. Mr. Ranken has fhewn his judg- 
ment in adopting the plan cf Dr. Henry’s 
Hiftory of Great Britain: in conformity 
to that plan, the firft book, which this 
volume contains, is divided into feven 
chapters. The firft is the hiftory of civil 
and military affaiis—the fecond, is the 
hittory of religion and of the church—the 
third, is that of laws and government— 
the fourth, of literature—the fifth, of the 
arts—the fixth, of commerce—and the 
feventh, of language, cuftoms, and man- 
ners. 
<¢ Hiftorical end Political Memoirs of 
the Reign of Lewis XVI. from his Mar- 
riage to his De:th; founded on a Variety 
of authentic Documents, furnifhed to the 
Author before the Revolution, by many 
eminent S:ate/men and Minilters, and on 
the fecret Papers difcoveied after the roth 
of Augult, 1792, in the Clofets of the 
Retrofpect of Domeftic Literature—Hiffory. 
King, at Verfailles and the Thuilleries ; 
by Joun Lewis SOULAVIE, the Elder, 
&c. tranflated from the French. Accom- 
panied with explanatory Tabks, and 113 
Portraits.’ In this ample title-page we 
are informed of the various fources whence 
the materials for thefe valuable volumes 
have been drawn: M. Soulavie has not 
now to eftablifh his charaéter as an hilto- 
tian: his claims to faithfulnefs, impar- 
tislity, penetration, and judgment, have 
been arduoufly earned and gratefully ac- 
knowledged. Under the title of Memoirs 
of Marfhal Richelieu, which commence at 
the latter part of the reign of Lewis XV. and 
end at the acceffion of Lewis XVI. to the 
throne, publifhed in nine volumes, M. 
Soulavie has given a very interefting and 
authentic hiftory of the decline of the 
French Monarchy: the prefent work may 
be confidered as a continuatien of the 
former, as it commences with the Mar- 
riage of the late King in 1771, and con- 
cludes with his death. This indefatiga- 
ble author has now in the prefs an Hiftory 
of the Revolution, beginning with the 
firft Affembly of the Notables, and ending 
with the 18th cenruiy. 
“ The Hiftory, Civil and Commercial, 
of the Britifh Colonies in the Weft Indies, 
by BryaAN EDwarpbs, Efg. vol. 3. with 
plates.” This work, fo valuable in it- 
{elf, and fo peculiarly interefting at the 
prefent period, when that part of the 
globe, whofe hiltory it relates, is the fole 
theatre of war, is now brought to a con- 
clufion; and alas! the career of the hifto- 
rian, and the pages of his hiftory, are both 
clofed together—** ere the laft fheet was 
revifed for the prefs, Bryan Edwards 
was no more.” Perceiving the approach 
of his diffolution, Mr. Edwards exerted 
what little ftrength he had, and fketched, 
with a hafty pen, the hiftory of his life. 
His friend, Sir William Young, on whom 
devolved the office of completing and 
editing the work, declined to fill this 
naked outline: “he cannot venture to 
alter, or add to, the facred depoft com- 
mitted to his charge, and now gives it to 
the public as its author left and wilied it 
to be given.” About half of the prefent 
volume is occupied with a republications 
together with additional notes and illuf- 
trations, of the Hiftorical Survey of St. 
Domingo: a Tour, fucceeds, through the 
feveral iflands of Barbadoes, St. Vincent, 
Antigua, Tobago, and Grenada, in the 
years 1791 and 1792, by Sir W. Young, 
Subjoined are Mr. Edwards’s obfervations 
on the difpofition, character, manners, 
and habits of life, among the Maroon 
Negroes 
